Two New Chambers of Wonder at Swarovski Kristallwelten

(eap) Visitors to Swarovski Crystal Worlds (Swarovski Kristallwelten) have been able to experience two new Chambers of Wonder for a few days now. The brand experience, located in the Austrian Alps near Wattens, has collaborated with electronic artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer who uses innovative technologies, artificial intelligence and light in his emotionally appealing, interactive installations.

The two new chambers, “Pulse Voronoi” and “Crystal Voices”, are designed to transform the physical space and evoke emotional responses from visitors. Pulse Voronoi is a biometric light and sound installation that deals with human  individuality. In the chamber, visitors are surrounded by some 7,000 crystals hanging from the ceiling. Five heart rate sensors measure the heartbeat of visitors who place their hand underneath and create the effect in real time that the crystals light up in time with the heartbeat.

In the new “Crystal Voices” room, 3,000 Swarovski employees can be heard via free-floating crystal speakers. © Swarovski Kristallwelten

Crystal Voices is a sound portrait that pays tribute to the stories and voices of the company. Via 3,000 free-floating crystal loudspeakers, a chorus of overlapping voices of the Swarovski team members can be heard, which mixes different languages, volumes and intonations, inspired by the echoes in the mountains.

“As an artist who works with light, I am naturally interested in crystals because they are the optical medium through which light can work. For me, the sublimity of crystal lies in its transparency and in the way artists or designers can cut it to create beautiful plays of light. I want people who leave these chambers of wonder to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of participation. I want them to get a sense of how fragile the experience of art is, which is understood as a reflection of the fragility of life. I want people to think about how fleeting everything is and to realize that they should savor every moment,” says Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.

Stefan Isser (Managing Director Swarovski Kristallwelten), artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Alexis Nasard (CEO Swarovski) are delighted about the about the opening of the two new Chambers of Wonder. © Swarovski Kristallwelten

Stefan Isser, Managing Director of Swarovski Crystal Worlds, explains: “The team at Swarovski Crystal Worlds always strives to surprise and inspire visitors. We are aware that people give us their most valuable asset – their time. In return, we want to offer them a captivating and interactive experience. [...]”

With his installations, Lozano-Hemmer is the latest in a series of renowned contemporary artists who use Swarovski’s light art to create extraordinary experiences for visitors. International artists such as Yayoi Kusana, James Turrell, Lee Bul and Jaime Hayon have already expressed themselves creatively in Chambers of Wonder. ■